1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in shape retaining collar devices and garments of wearing apparel utilizing such collar devices and more particularly, shape retaining collar devices which enable a collar to maintain a neat and somewhat rigid position but nevertheless a natural looking position with respect to the remaining portion of the garment.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The use of collar stays with shirts, and particularly decorative and so-called dress shirts, has been known and commercially available for a long period of time. In many shirt constructions, for example, the collar stays are permanently imbedded in the collar and in other shirt constructions, a channel is formed within the collar for receiving the collar stay. These shirt collars typically have forwardly presented edges extending from a neckline and which edges terminated at lower collar points or tips.
These prior art constructions utilized a plastic collar stay which had somewhat of a tapered lower end. The collar stay was inserted in the shirt collars to extend from the neckline or in proximity to the neckline near each of the forwardly presented edges thereof toward the tips of the collar. Further, the prior art collar stays extended upwardly from there at an angle of about 45.degree. with respect to the forwardly presented edges of the collar. Moreover, the collar stays were preferably of a straight segment and did not include any angularly disposed portions. In addition, the collar stays were fairly rigid and non-bendable as such.
These collar stays and the garments utilizing the same were primarily designed for garments where the collar was normally retained in a fairly rigid position around the shirt by means of a collar button and button hole. Thus, the garment had the torso covering segment extended upwardly toward the collar and was provided with a button and button hole. In this way, the collar did more or less retain its shape so long as the shirt was buttoned. The collar stays were provided to keep the collars fairly straight or unbended.
Heretofore, there has been no effective means for enabling a shirt with a collar and particularly of a somewhat flexible construction to retain a particular shape with respect to the torso covering section, and even more so with V-neck shirts on the torso covering portion.